Aristotle's Five Ways of Knowing Philosophy / Systematic Theology In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle identifies five ways of knowing— also called the five intellectual virtues and more commonly known by their Latin names. Habit Description Systematic Theology νοῦς Intelligentia What is immediately self-evident, First principles given to it— Self-sufficient understanding needing no demonstration like understanding ἐπιστήμη Scientia Demonstrates conclusions— Knowledge Needs to be demonstrated like knowledge σοφία Sapientia Knows what to do with the conclusions Utilizes a variety of inferences— Wisdom and what they mean like wisdom φρόνησις Prudentia Directs action— Prudence Has to do with things that are done like prudence τέχνη Ars Edifies the Church— Art Has to do with things that are made like art See Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics 6, especially 6.3 (ἐπιστήμη), 6.4 (τέχνη), 6.5 (φρόνησις), 6.6 (νοῦς), and 6.7 (σοφία) [= Bekker, pp. 1139b-1141b]. 5321230-cls-0384-0322-aristotle-set-bcrx 3/1/2014 BcResources.net © ncBc Aristotle’s Ten Categories Philosophy Aristotle developed an influential classification of the fundamental kinds or ways of being known as his “ten categories”—what medievals called the praedicamenta.1 These lists have been viewed as itemizing (1) types of predicate, (2) highest of the genera, or (3) kinds of predication.2 Greek Translations Description Example ousia / ti esti substance, what-it-is; Aristotle’s “primary substance,” i.e., man, what is it? essence non-accidental particulars (cf. Categories 2, “not horse predicated-of (said-of), not present-in”) poson quantity the extension of an object, either discrete or two cubits long, how much? continuous; this and the following are accidental three cubits long particulars (“not predicated-of, present-in”) poion quality the nature of an object white, what kind? grammatical pros ti relation the relation of one object to another double, in relation to what? half, greater pou place an object’s position relative to its surroundings in the market place, where? in the Lyceum pote time an object’s position relative to other events yesterday, when? last year keisthai position being-in-a-position; a condition of rest resulting lying, to lie from an action (poiein) sitting echein state, a condition of rest resulting from an affection shod (has-shoes-on), to have possession, (paschein) armed having poiein action, the production of change in another object to lance, to make, doing to cauterize to do paschein affection, being-affected; the reception of change from some to be lanced, to suffer, passivity other object to be cauterized to undergo 1 Categories 4, 1b25-2a4; Topics I.9, 103b20-25; other passages contain lists of eight, six, five, or four of the ten, focusing especially on the first four. 2 Smith, Robin. “Logic.” The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle. Ed. Jonathan Barnes. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 55-56. 5321230-cls-0384-0322-aristotle-set-bcrx 3/1/2014 BcResources.net © ncBc Aristotle’s Four Causes Philosophy External Efficient Cause Directive The process by which materials are made into something, by which1 it moves or makes something; the agent’s actions that produce or move something (the object or process producing the object). —e.g., the sculptor and his sculpting Internal Material Cause Concrete That out of which a thing is made; the 2 materials, the potentiality, the intrinsic principle that allows a thing to be changed into something else (what can be observed in the thing itself). —e.g., the white-marble stone Formal Cause Abstract The form into which the materials were3 cast (so that they were not turned into something else), the intelligible structure or act of something (the intrinsic pattern or form of the object distinguishing it from all others). —e.g., the person, King David Final Cause Quality That for which, or that on account of which, a thing came into being,4 the goal for which things evolve, or the end of some process or activity (the telic cause). This is the most important cause. —e.g., the decorative element 5321230-cls-0384-0322-aristotle-set-bcrx 3/1/2014 BcResources.net © ncBc Aristotle’s Golden Mean Philosophy + <——> – Sphere of action or feeling Excess Mean Deficiency Fear and confidence Rashness Courage Cowardice thrasutēs andreia deilia Pleasure and pain Licentiousness Temperance Insensibility akolasia sōphrosunē anaisthēsia Getting and spending (minor) Prodigality Liberality Illiberality / Meanness asōtia eleutheriotēs aneleutheria Getting and spending (major) Vulgarity Magnificence Pettiness apeirokalia, banausia megaloprepeia mikroprepeia Honor and dishonor (major) Vanity Magnanimity Pusillanimity chaunotēs megalopsuchia mikropsuchia Honor and dishonor (minor) Ambition Proper ambition Unambitiousness philotimia ... aphilotimia Anger Irascibility Patience Lack of spirit orgilotēs praotēs aorgēsia Self-expression Boastfulness Truthfulness Understatement alazoneia alētheia eirōneia Conversation Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness bōmolochia eutrapelia agroikia Obsequiousness Social conduct areskeia Friendliness Cantankerousness Flattery philia (?) duskolia (duseris) kolakeia Shame Shyness Modesty Shamelessness kateplēxis aidōs anaischuntia Indignation Envy Righteous indignation Malicious enjoyment phthonos nemesis epichairekakia Chart based on: Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics). Ed. Hugh Tredennick. Trans. J. A. K. Thomson. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. pp. 285-286. Illustration of rashness, courage, and cowardice modified from:Baird, Forrest E. Ancient Philosophy (Philosophic Classics, Volume I--4th Edition). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. 5321230-cls-0384-0322-aristotle-set-bcrx 3/1/2014 BcResources.net © ncBc.